Animal-resistant latching system

ABSTRACT

An animal-resistant latching system for inhibiting animals from accessing food and food containing refuse within containers is disclosed. The device is composed of an access panel containing an opening to which is secured at least one latching members, a cam assembly, a cover, and a bracket. The latching members are positioned so as to inhibit access to the container when the member is in the latched position and allow access to the container when the member is in the unlatched position. The cam assembly communicates with the latching members so as to move the members between the latched and unlatched positions. The cover and bracket are dimensioned and positioned on the access panel in a predetermined manner so as allow human hands access to the cam assembly and unlatch the container while simultaneously inhibiting such access by animals.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the benefit of priority under 35 U.S.C. § 119(e)of U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/706,966 filed on Aug. 10, 2005 byDavid Moore, entitled BEAR PROOF POCKET LATCH, the entirety of which isincorporated herein by reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to latching systems and, in particular,concerns a latching system for use with a container to inhibit access tothe interior of the container by animals.

2. Description of the Related Art

Food and food containing refuse generated by humans can attract theattention of animals in areas adjacent to animal habitats. Animals, suchas bears, have a keen sense of smell and can easily detect food which isstored or discarded in containers left outdoors such as storage lockersand refuse bins on streets or in parks. Because these outdoor containersare accessible and plentiful, they are an attractive source of food foranimals compared to foraging in their natural habitat. Furthermore, onceanimals learn that this source of food is available, they may lose theirwariness towards humans and frequently return to areas where the foodwas located, increasing the probability of an animal-human encounter.

The attraction of animals, and bears in particular, to human populatedareas is problematic. The size and strength of some animals, bears, forexample, makes them a potential threat to people or property theyencounter while attempting to access containers containing food.Further, animals entering settled areas can become injured or killed bymoving automobiles, electrical lines, and other human technologies.Thus, to protect people, property, and the animals themselves, it isdesirable to inhibit animals from accessing containers storing food andfood containing refuse.

Latches are commonly placed on containers for this purpose. However,current latching mechanism designs are problematic. The latches canrequire significant strength or dexterity to operate, presentingdifficulties for children, the elderly, or the handicapped. Further,these latching mechanisms may require a user to re-engage the latchafter each use. Should the user forget to re-engage the latch, thereceptacle is vulnerable to animals.

These deficiencies in current latch designs illustrate the need forimproved animal-resistant latches which are easy to use and mechanicallyrobust while reducing the potential for user error.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The aforementioned needs are satisfied by the animal-resistant latchingsystem of the present invention which, in one aspect, comprises anaccess panel having a first and a second side, adapted to be movedbetween an open and a closed position with respect to the container. Inthis aspect, the latching system further comprises an opening formedbetween the first and second sides.

In one aspect, the preferred embodiments of the present inventionprovide an animal resistant latching system for use with a container toinhibit access to the interior of the container by animals, the latchingsystem. The system comprises an access panel having a first and a secondside and an opening formed between the first and second sides where theaccess panel is adapted to be moved between an open and a closedposition with respect to the container. The system further comprises atleast one latching member that is movable between a latched position andan unlatched position, where the at least one latching member is coupledto the access panel at a location and where the at least one latchingmember inhibits movement of the access panel to thereby inhibit accessto the container in the latched position and where the at least onelatching member permits movement of the access panel to thereby allowaccess to the container in the unlatched position. The systemadditionally comprises a cam assembly having a lever, where the camassembly is mounted to a first side of the access panel and where thecam assembly is coupled to the at least one latching member such thatmovement of the cam assembly results in movement of the at least onelatching member between the latched and unlatched positions and wherethe lever is positioned so as to be accessible through the opening inthe cover so as to allow a person to move the cam assembly so as to urgethe at least one latching member from the latched position to anunlatched position. The system also comprises a cover that is mounted onthe second side of the access panel so as to cover the opening in theaccess panel, where the cover has side walls that extends outward fromthe plane of the second side of the access panel and an outer surfacethat interconnects the side walls so as to define a space positionedabove the opening in the access panel where the cover defines a coveropening that permits access into the space defined by the cover and alsoto the lever of the cam assembly via the opening in the access panelwhere the cover opening is dimensioned so as to permit a human handaccess to the lever via the opening in the access panel to manipulatethe at least one latching member from the latched position to theunlatched position and is further dimensioned so as to inhibit an animalfrom accessing the lever to manipulate the at least one latching memberfrom the latched position into the unlatched position. The systemfurther comprises a bracket positioned on the second side of the accesspanel adjacent the cover opening, where the bracket extends outward fromthe second surface of the panel and where the bracket is spaced from thecover opening a distance that is selected to permit human access to thecover opening but inhibit access by animals.

In another aspect, the preferred embodiments of the present inventionprovide a bear resistant latching system for use with a container toinhibit access to the interior of the container by bears, the latchingsystem. The system comprises an access panel having a first and a secondside and an opening formed between the first and second sides, where theaccess panel is adapted to be moved between an open and a closedposition with respect to the container. The system also comprises atleast one latching member that is movable between a latched position andan unlatched position, where the at least one latching member is coupledto the access panel at a location and where the at least one latchingmember inhibits movement of the access panel to thereby inhibit accessto the container in the latched position and where the at least onelatching member permits movement of the access panel to thereby allowaccess to the container in the unlatched position. The system furthercomprises a rotatable cam assembly having a lever, where the rotatablecam assembly is mounted to a first side of the access panel and wherethe rotatable cam assembly is coupled to the at least one latchingmember such that rotation of the cam assembly results in movement of theat least one latching member between the latched and unlatched positionsand where the lever is positioned so as to be accessible through theopening in the cover so as to allow a person to move the rotatable camassembly so as to urge the at least one latching member from the latchedposition to an unlatched position. The system additionally comprises acover that is mounted on the second side of the access panel so as tocover the opening in the access panel, where the cover has side wallsthat extends outward from the plane of the second side of the accesspanel and an outer surface that interconnects the side walls so as todefine a space positioned above the opening in the access panel andwhere the cover defines a cover opening that permits access into thespace defined by the cover and also to the lever of the rotatable camassembly via the opening in the access panel and where the cover openingis dimensioned so as to permit a human hand access to the lever via theopening in the access panel to manipulate the at least one latchingmember from the latched position to the unlatched position and isfurther dimensioned so as to inhibit a bear from accessing the lever tomanipulate the at least one latching member from the latched positioninto the unlatched position.

In a further aspect, the preferred embodiments of the present inventionprovide a bear resistant latching system for use with a container toinhibit access to the interior of the container by bears, the latchingsystem. The system comprises a container defining an interior accessiblethrough a container mouth possessing a plurality of edges bordered by acontainer mouth frame. The system also comprises an access panelcomprising a first side, a second side, an access panel opening formedbetween the first and second sides, a reinforced edge at the peripheryof the access panel, and a hinge, where the hinge interconnects theaccess panel to the container, allowing the access panel to pivotbetween an opened and closed position with respect to the container. Thesystem additionally comprises at least one latching member, mounted tothe first side of the access panel, adjacent to the reinforced edge,where the at least one latching member comprises a latch bolt whichpasses through a latch bolt housing and where the latch bolt is moveablebetween a latched position and an unlatched position where the latchbolt inhibits movement of the access panel to thereby inhibit access tothe container in the latched position and where the at least onelatching member permits movement of the access panel to thereby allowaccess to the container in the unlatched position. The system furthercomprises an actuator mounted to a first side of the access panel, wherethe actuator is coupled to the at least one latching member such thatmovement of the actuator results in movement of the at least onelatching member between the latched and unlatched positions and wherethe actuator is positioned so as to be accessible through the opening inthe cover so as to allow a person to move the actuator so as to urge theat least one latching member from the latched position to an unlatchedposition. The system also comprises a cover that is mounted on thesecond side of the access panel so as to cover the opening in the accesspanel, where the cover has side walls that extends outward from theplane of the second side of the access panel and an outer surface thatinterconnects the side walls so as to define a space positioned abovethe opening in the access panel and where the cover defines a coveropening that permits access into the space defined by the cover and alsoto the actuator via the opening in the access panel and where the coveropening is dimensioned so as to permit a human hand access to theactuator via the opening in the access panel to manipulate the at leastone latching member from the latched position to the unlatched positionand is further dimensioned so as to inhibit a bear from accessing theactuator to manipulate the at least one latching member from the latchedposition into the unlatched position.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

These and other objects and advantages will become more apparent fromthe following description taken in conjunction with the accompanyingdrawings.

FIGS. 1A-1B illustrate perspective views of a container equipped withone embodiment of an animal resistant latching system in the opened andclosed position;

FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the animal resistant latchingsystem of FIG. 1;

FIGS. 3A-3B illustrate front and rear views of the animal resistantlatching system of FIG. 1 operated by a human hand; and

FIG. 4 presents a side view of the animal resistant latching system ofFIG. 1, illustrating one embodiment of the predetermined dimensions ofthe latching system which inhibit access of the lever by bears.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Some embodiments of the present invention relate to an animal-resistantlatch directed towards inhibiting the access of bears to food containingreceptacles. However, the embodiments of the invention may be applied toinhibiting the access of animals in general to containers.

FIGS. 1A-1B illustrate a perspective view of one embodiment of ananimal-resistant latching system 100 in open and closed positions.Generally, the system 100 is adaptable for use with a container 102 inorder to inhibit an animal from accessing the contents of the container102. Such containers may include, but are not limited to, campgroundfood storage boxes and outdoor trash receptacles, including business andhousehold receptacles. The latching system 100 includes an access panel104, at least one latching member 112, an actuator 114, a cover 116, anda bracket 120.

As shown in FIG. 1A, the access panel 104 is comprised of a first side122 a, a second side 122 b, an access panel opening 124, a reinforcededge 126, and a hinge 130. The reinforced edge 126 is formed from aplurality of bends at the periphery of the access panel 104, in adirection generally parallel to the plane of the first side 122 a of theaccess panel. A first segment 132 a of the reinforced edge 126 extendsoutward from the plane of the first side 122 a of the access panel 104.A second segment 132 b of the reinforced edge 126 extends outward fromthe first segment 132 a towards the center of the access panel 104 in adirection generally parallel to the plane of the first side 122 a of theaccess panel. As illustrated in FIG. 1B, the access panel 104 ispreferably dimensioned to span a container mouth 134 such that the firstsegment 132 a of the reinforced edge 126 of the access panel 104 liessubstantially adjacent to a container mouth frame 134 when the accesspanel 104 is in the closed position. In the particular embodiment ofFIGS. 1A-1B, the container mouth 132 and the access panel 104 areconfigured in a generally rectangular shape. However, the access panel104 may be configured to span a container mouth 132 of arbitrary shape,such as a circle or oval.

The reinforcing edge 126 is designed to work in concert with a container102 so as to inhibit an animal, such as a bear, from accessing the foodcontainer 102. The distance separating the first segment 132 a of thereinforced edge 126 and the container mouth frame 134 when the accesspanel 104 is in the closed position is predetermined to be less than thewidth of an animal claw, such as that of a bear. Additionally, thelength of the first segment 132 a of the reinforced edge 126 isdimensioned so as to be longer than the length of an animal claw, suchas that of a bear. Advantageously, this design inhibits an animal frominserting their claws between the reinforced edge 126 of the accesspanel 104 and the container mouth frame 136 in order to pry open theaccess panel 104 from the closed position. Furthermore, the reinforcededge 126 acts to strengthen the edges of the panel 104, furtherinhibiting an animal attempting to access the container 102 fromsubstantially deforming the access panel 104.

The access panel opening 124 illustrated in FIGS. 1A-1B is also formedbetween the first and second sides 122 a and 122 b of the access panel104. In the embodiment of FIGS. 1A-1B, the access panel opening 124possesses a generally rectangular shape. Further, the opening 124 issized so as allow access of at least a portion of a human hand throughthe access panel 104 to the actuator 114 as described in further detailwith respect to FIG. 4.

FIG. 1A also illustrates the hinge 130. The hinge 130 is positioned at afirst edge 140 a of the access panel 104, allowing the access panel 104to be moved between the open and closed positions. In the embodiment ofFIG. 1, the hinge 130 comprises a hinge pin 144 configured to mountwithin the container mouth frame 134 in a manner allowing the accesspanel 104 pivot about the hinge pin 144. In this manner, the accesspanel 104 may be moved between the opened position to permit access tothe container 102 and the closed position to inhibit access to thecontainer 102. Advantageously, the hinge pin 144 of the hinge 130 isrecessed within the container mouth frame 134, substantially protectingthe hinge 130 from animal attack or environmental damage, enhancing therobustness of the latching system 100.

In the particular embodiment of FIGS. 1A-1B, the access panel 104 ismounted so as to cover the container mouth 134 which is positioned onthe side of a container 102. In an alternative implementation, theaccess panel 104 may also be mounted on a container 102 possessing a topfacing container mouth 134 to inhibit access to an animal.

FIG. 1B shows the second side 122 b of the access panel 104,illustrating the cover 116 and bracket 120. The cover 116 comprisescover sidewalls 146 and an outer surface 150. The sidewalls 146 extendoutward from the plane of the second side 122 b of the access panel 104and the outer surface 150 interconnects with the sidewalls 146 so as todefine a space 152 positioned above the access panel opening 124. Thecover 116 further defines a cover opening 154 that permits access to aspace 152 defined by the cover 116 and also to the cam assembly 114. Thebracket 120 comprises a first face 156 a and a second face 156 b. Thesecond face 156 a of the bracket 120 is interconnected to the secondface 122 b of the access panel 104 in a position such that the firstface 156 a of the bracket 120 faces opposite the cover opening 154. Inone implementation, the cover 116 and bracket 120 are formed by stampingmetal, such as steel, into the above-described shape. As will bedescribed in greater detail below with respect to FIG. 4, the dimensionand spacing of the cover 116 and bracket 120 are predetermined in orderto allow access to the access panel opening 124 by a human hand butinhibit such access by the paw of an animal, such as a bear.

The animal resistant latching system 100 is latched and unlatched by useof the latching members 112 in conjunction with the actuator 114. Oneembodiment of the one latching members 112 is presented in FIG. 1A. Aswill be described in greater detail below, the latching members 112 aremovable between a latched position, wherein the members 112 inhibitmovement of the access panel 104 in order to deny access to a containerinterior 158, and an unlatched position, wherein the latching members112 allow movement of the access panel 104 for access into the containerinterior 158. Beneficially, the latching members 112, in thisembodiment, are configured to return to the latched position when theaccess panel 104 is closed in a manner to be discussed below inreference to FIG. 2. As a result, an individual who opens the accesspanel 104 does not need to manually re-engage the latching members 112in the latched position upon closing the access panel 104, ensuring thatthe access panel 104 is latched when moved to the closed position.

As illustrated in FIGS. 1A and 2, the latching members 112 comprise alatch bolt 160 which passes through a generally elongated latch bolthousing 162 which is attached to the first side 122 a of the accesspanel 104, adjacent to the reinforced edge 126. A first end 164 a of thelatch bolt 160 possesses a contour 166 which is tapered from a firstface 170 a of the latching member 112 to a second face 170 b, ending ina flange 168. This tapered first end 164 a of the latch bolt 160facilitates the return of the latching members 112 to the latchedposition when the access panel 104 is closed in a manner that will bedescribed below in reference to the cam assembly 114 of FIG. 2. A secondend 164 b of the latch bolt 160 is configured for attachment to theactuator 114 which moves the latching members 112 from the latched tounlatched position in a process also to be described in more detail withfurther reference to the cam assembly 114 in FIG. 2.

The latching members 112 are positioned on the first side 122 a of theaccess panel 104, adjacent to the reinforced edge 126. The latch bolthousing 162 acts to guide the motion of the latch bolt 160, whichextends outward from the latch bolt housing 162, substantiallyperpendicular to the reinforced edge 126 of the access panel 104 througha gap 172 in the reinforced edge 126. As illustrated in FIG. 1A, in thelatched position, the latching members 112 extend beyond the reinforcededge 126 and engage striker plate holes 174 within the container mouthframe 134 when in the latched position, inhibiting movement of theaccess panel 104. In the unlatched position, the latching members 112are retracted within the reinforced edge 126 of the access panel 104 soas to allow movement of the panel 104 within the container mouth frame136.

More specifically, the latching members 112 are further positionedopposite the hinge 130 adjacent to a second edge 140 b of the accesspanel 104. An opening force exerted at this location, approximatelyperpendicular to the plane of the access panel 104, results in a hightorque with which to open the access panel 104. Therefore, placing thelatching members 112 in this location inhibits this location from beingused to apply the opening force. An opening force applied at analternative location, closer to the hinge 130, will need to be greaterthan the force applied at the second edge 140 b of the access panel 104to generate the same torque. In this fashion, the access panel 104 ismade more difficult to open when the latching members 112 are latched,enhancing the security provided by the animal resistant latching system100.

In one aspect of the particular embodiment of the invention illustratedin FIGS. 1A-1B, two latching members 112 are utilized in the latchingsystem 100 at lateral sides of the panel 104 adjacent the edge oppositethe hinge 130. As the number of latching members 112 is increased, theopening force required to open the access panel 104 without unlatchingthe latching members 112 is increased. This design allows theconstruction of the latching system 100 to be varied depending on thenature of the animal threat. Fewer of the latching members 112 may beused in environments where the animals attempting to access thecontainer 102 are relatively weak. More of the latching members 112 maybe used in environments where the animals attempting to access thecontainer 102 are relatively strong, such as bears.

Furthermore, incorporation of the two latching members 112 adjacent tothe second edge 140 b of the access panel 104 allows the latchingmembers 112 to work in conjunction with the hinge 130 to enhance thesecurity provided by the latching system 100. As illustrated in FIG. 1A,the latching members 112 and hinge 130 are located near the corners ofthe access panel 104. The hinge pin 144 is secured within the containermouth frame 134, while the latch bolts 160, when in the latchedposition, are secured within the striker plate holes 174 when the accesspanel 104 is in the closed position. Thus, the four corners of theaccess panel 104 are secured in place when the two latching members 112are latched and the access panel 104 is in the closed position.Advantageously, in this secured state, none of the reinforced edges 126of the access panel 104 are more vulnerable to forced opening by ananimal than any other, enhancing the security of the latching system100.

FIG. 2 illustrates an exploded view of the actuator 114 in communicationwith the latching members 112. In one embodiment, the actuator 114 maycomprise a cam assembly 114. In a preferred embodiment, the actuator maycomprise a rotatable cam assembly 114. As will be described in detailbelow, actuation of the rotatable cam assembly 114 retracts the latchingmembers 112 to the unlatched position, allowing access into thecontainer 102. Releasing the rotatable cam assembly 114 returns therotatable cam assembly 114 and the latching members 112 back to theiroriginal, latched position. The rotatable cam assembly 114 comprises arotatable cam body 176, a pivot pin 180, a lever 182, at least one camarm 184, and a plurality of washers 186.

The rotatable cam body 176 comprises a planar, generally circular camcentral body 190 possessing a first side 192 a and a second side 192 b.A pivot hole 194 and a plurality of cam body arm holes 196 are formedbetween the first and second sides 192 a and 192 b of the rotatable cambody 176. As discussed below in greater detail with respect to FIG. 2,the pivot hole 194 is roughly centered within the cam central body 190to allow insertion of the pivot pin 180, while the plurality of cam bodyarm holes 196 are positioned about the pivot hole 194 at approximately45 degrees with respect to the plane of the lever 182 in order toprovide an attachment point for two cam arms 184. The cam central body190 is interconnected to a generally rectangular cam body extensionplate 202 at a cam body first end 204. The lever 182 is interconnectedto a first edge 206 of the cam body extension plate 202 and extendsoutward from the first side 192 a of the rotatable cam body 176 towardsthe opening 124 in the access panel 122. In one implementation, therotatable cam body 176 is formed of stamped metal, such as steel.

The pivot pin 180 comprises a generally elongated, cylindrical pivot pinbody 208 possessing a first end 210 a and a second end 210 b. The firstend 210 a of the pivot pin 180 is fixedly attached to the first side 122a of the access panel 104, whereby the pivot pin 180 extends outwardfrom the plane of the access panel 104. The position of the pivot pin180 is designed to orient the lever 182 at a predetermined position withrespect to the access panel opening 124, as discussed in greater detailwith respect to FIG. 4. The second end 210 b of the pivot pin 180possesses a cam body securing mechanism 212 for restraining the motionof the rotatable cam body 176, as discussed below.

The rotatable cam body 176 is mounted to the access panel 104 using thepivot pin 180. The second end 210 b of the pivot pin 180 is insertedthrough the pivot hole 194 from the first side 192 a of the rotatablecam body 176 and the rotatable cam body 176 is placed at rest on thepivot pin body 208. The plurality of washers 186 is interposed betweenthe access panel 104 and the rotatable cam body 176, on the pivot pin180, to position the lever 182 at a predetermined position with respectto the access panel opening 124, as discussed below in reference to FIG.4. The rotatable cam body 176 is secured in place on the pivot pin 180by the rotatable cam body securing mechanism 212 on the second end 210 bof the pivot pin 180. The rotatable cam body securing mechanism 212 mayinclude, but is not limited to, a thread and nut. In this manner, therotatable cam body 176 is supported and allowed to pivot freely by thepivot pin body 208, while being restrained from removal from the pivotpin 180 once the rotatable cam body securing mechanism 212 is engaged.

The cam arms 184 connect the rotatable cam body 176 and the latchingmembers 112. The cam arms 184 are generally rectangular, possessing afirst side 214 a and a second side 214 b, a first end 216 a and a secondend 216 b. The cam arms 184 are preferably dimensioned so as to span thedistance between the latching members 112 and the rotatable cam body176. A first and a second cam arm holes 220 a and 220 b are formedbetween the first and second sides 214 a and 214 b of the cam arms 184at the first and second ends 216 a and 216 b, respectively. A rivet 222is inserted within a first cam arm hole 220 a at the first end 216 a ofthe cam arms 184 and a cam body arm hole 196 to attach the retractablecam body 176 to the cam arms 184. As illustrated in the embodiment ofFIG. 2, the second end 216 b of the cam arms 184 is attached to thelatch bolt 160 by a latch bolt pin 224. The latch bolt pin 224 isconnected to the second end 164 b of the latch bolt 160, extendingoutward from the plane of the latch bolt 160, and is inserted into thesecond cam arm hole 220 b. A cam arm locking pin 226 is inserted into afirst end 230 of the latch bolt pin 224 through a latch bolt pin hole232. Both cam arms 184 are similarly attached to the rotatable cam body176 in this fashion.

FIGS. 3A-3B illustrate the unlatching operation of the latching system100, performed by a single human hand 234. As shown in FIG. 3A, the hand234 is extended with a palm 236 facing the cover opening 154. Fingers240 of the hand 234 are curled towards the cover opening 154 andinserted into the cover opening 154 until contact is made between thefingers 240 and the lever 182. As illustrated in FIG. 3B, an upwardmotion of the fingers 240 against the lever 182 causes the rotatable cambody 176 to rotate about the pivot pin 180. This rotation causes therotatable cam body 176 to pull the cam arms 184 towards the rotatablecam body 176, which in turn retracts the latching members 112. Theretraction at the latching members 112 continues in response to theupward motion applied to the lever 182 until the flange 168 on thesecond face 170 b of the latch bolts 160 contact the latch bolt housing162. In this position, the latching members 112 are in the unlatchedposition and the access panel 104 may be moved to the open position.

Once unlatched, the hand 234 moves access panel 104 to the openedposition to gain access to the container interior 158. The hand 234 isremoved from the cover opening 154 once the container 102 is opened. Inone advantage, the latching members 112 may be unlatched with a singlehand. In another advantage, attachment of the cam arms 184 to the camcentral body 190 about the pivot hole 194 at an angle of approximately45 degrees with respect to the plane of the lever 182 provides a largemotion of the cam arms 184 for a comparatively small upward hand motion.These features enhance the ease of operation the rotatable cam assembly114 and allow persons possessing reduced strength or dexterity to openthe animal resistant latching system 100 and access the containerinterior 158.

In a further advantage, the animal resistant latching system 100 may beunlatched by people who become locked within the container 102 withoutassistance from the first side of the access panel 104. Thisfunctionality is achieved by exposing the lever 182 to the first side122 a of the access panel 104. In this manner, the lever 182 may belifted from within the container interior 158 just as the lever 182 islifted by users from outside the container 102 to unlatch the latchingsystem 100 and open the access panel 104.

The rotatable cam assembly 114 is returned to its latched state by abiasing member 242 when the fingers 240 are removed from the lever 182.The biasing member 242, mounted within the latch bolt housing 162, actsto bias the latching member 112 in the latched position. In theembodiment of FIG. 2, the biasing member 242 comprises a spring 244interconnecting the first and second ends 164 a and 164 b of the latchbolt 160. When latch bolt 160 is pulled away from the reinforced edge126 of the access panel 104 during rotation of the rotatable camassembly 114, the spring 244 is pulled from its rest position. Removalof the fingers 240 from the lever 182 removes the force pulling thespring 244 and allows the spring 244 to return to its rest position,returning the rotatable cam assembly 114 and the latch bolt 160 to theirlatched state. Advantageously, the latching members 112 return to theirlatched state without user intervention. In an alternativeimplementation, the biasing member 242 could comprise a torsional springinterconnected to the rotatable cam body 176 so as to induce or bias thecam body 176 into the latched position.

The latching members 112 further work in concert with the biasingmembers 242 to reengage the latch bolt 160 upon closure of the accesspanel 104 from the open position. As discussed above, when the accesspanel 104 is in the open position, without actuation of the rotatablecam assembly 114, the biasing members 242 urges the latching members 112into the latched position. As the access panel 104 is moved from theopen to closed position, the contour 166 at the first end 164 a of thelatch bolt 160 contacts the container mouth frame 136. As the accesspanel 104 is further moved into the closed position, the container mouthframe 136 presses against the contour 166 of the latch bolt 160, forcingthe latch bolt 160 away from the container mouth 134. This movement ofthe latch bolt 160 allows the access panel 104 unimpeded motion towardsthe closed position. When the access panel 104 reaches the closedposition, the first end 164 a of the latch bolt 160 abuts the strikerplate holes 174 (FIG. 1A) and the biasing member 242 returns the latchbolt 160 to the latched position. Beneficially, a user is not requiredto remember to re-latch the animal resistant latching system 100 uponclosing the access panel 104, enhancing the security and ease of use ofthe latching system 100.

The size and position of the cover 116, bracket 120, as well as theactuation of the rotatable cam body 176, in the particularimplementation of FIG. 3 are predetermined on the basis of human andanimal physiology. These parameters, illustrated in FIG. 4, are selectedso as to allow access to and actuation of the cam assembly 114 by humanhands but inhibit such access and actuation by the claws of animals. Theparameters discussed below in respect to FIG. 4 are, in particular,designed to inhibit the access of bears to the container 102. However,alternative embodiments of the latching system 100 may utilizealternative parameters, selected to specifically inhibit the access ofother animals to the container 102.

The cover 116 is present over the access panel 104 and serves as a firstprotective mechanism to inhibit access to the rotatable cam assembly 114by animals such as bears. The cover 116 extends over the access panelopening 124 by a predetermined cover depth 252 sufficient to protect therotatable cam assembly 114 through the lever actuation distance 250, asdescribed below. In the embodiment of FIG. 4, the cover depth 252 isapproximately 2.75 inches. The cover 116 also extends outward fromsecond side 122 b of the access panel 104 by predetermined cover openingheight 254 which is designed to inhibit animals such as bears, inparticular, large bears, from accessing the rotatable cam assembly 114through the cover opening 154. This distance is selected to be less thanthe width of a typical large bear's claw but greater than the width of atypical human finger. In this manner, large bears are renderedphysically unable to access the cam assembly 114, while humans mayeasily access the cam assembly 114. In one embodiment, the cover openingheight 154 is approximately 1 inch.

A second protection mechanism may be provided by use of the bracket 120.Bears, particularly large bears, are incapable of bending their clawspast a critical angle. By placing a bracket 120 having a predeterminedbracket height 256 adjacent to the cover opening 154 at a predeterminedbracket offset 260, hands or claws are be forced to bend a predeterminedaccess angle to access the cam assembly 114 through the cover opening154. Selecting the bracket height 256 and bracket offset 260 so that theresulting access angle is greater than the critical angle a large bearmay bend their claws but smaller than the critical angle a human maybend their fingers, the large bear is inhibited from inserting theirclaws within the cover opening 154, while humans may easily insert theirhands though the cover opening 154. In one embodiment of the latchingsystem 100, the bracket height 256 is approximately 1 inch, while thebracket offset 260 is approximately 1.5 inches.

The rotatable cam assembly 114 is also designed to inhibit bears fromactuating the lever 182 of the cam assembly 114 through the access panelopening 124 but allowing humans to easily actuate the cam assembly 114.This design is accomplished, in one part, by positioning the pivot pin180 such that so that when the rotatable cam assembly 114 is mounted,the rest position of the lever 182 is recessed from the cover opening154 by a predetermined lever offset distance 246 This design isaccomplished, in a second part, by configuring the rotatable camassembly 114 such that the lever 182 must be moved through at least apredetermined lever actuation distance 250 in order to move the latchingmembers 112 from the latched to the unlatched position. The distances246 and 250 are selected to be easily traversed by human hands butunachievable by bears, in particular, small bears. In the embodiment ofFIG. 4, the lever offset distance 246 is approximately 0.5 inches, whilethe lever actuation distance 250 is at least 2.25 inches.

From the foregoing, it will be appreciated that the animal resistantlatching system disclosed herein provides enhanced protection from largeanimals. The securing system utilizes a multi-point coupling system tokeep the access panel closed. Further, the edges of the access panel aredesigned to inhibit animals from positioning a claw behind the edge andbending the access panel. Moreover, the latching system itself isdesigned to allow access to humans with flexible hands but inhibitaccess to animals with rigid claws.

Although the foregoing description has shown, described, and pointed outthe fundamental novel features of the present teachings, it will beunderstood that various omissions, substitutions, and changes in theform of the detail of the apparatus as illustrated, as well as the usesthereof, may be made by those skilled in the art, without departing fromthe scope of the present teachings. Consequently, the scope of thepresent teachings should not be limited to the foregoing discussion, butshould be defined by the appended claims.

1. An animal resistant latching system for use with a container toinhibit access to the interior of the container by animals, the latchingsystem comprising: an access panel having a first and a second side andan opening formed between the first and second sides wherein the accesspanel is adapted to be moved between an open and a closed position withrespect to the container; at least one latching member that is movablebetween a latched position and an unlatched position wherein the atleast one latching member is coupled to the access panel at a locationwherein the at least one latching member inhibits movement of the accesspanel to thereby inhibit access to the container in the latched positionand wherein the at least one latching member permits movement of theaccess panel to thereby allow access to the container in the unlatchedposition; a cam assembly having a lever wherein the cam assembly ismounted to a first side of the access panel and wherein the cam assemblyis coupled to the at least one latching member such that movement of thecam assembly results in movement of the at least one latching memberbetween the latched and unlatched positions and wherein the lever ispositioned so as to be accessible through the opening in the cover so asto allow a person to move the cam assembly so as to urge the at leastone latching member from the latched position to an unlatched position;a cover that is mounted on the second side of the access panel so as tocover the opening in the access panel wherein the cover has side wallsthat extends outward from the plane of the second side of the accesspanel and an outer surface that interconnects the side walls so as todefine a space positioned above the opening in the access panel whereinthe cover defines a cover opening that permits access into the spacedefined by the cover and also to the lever of the cam assembly via theopening in the access panel wherein the cover opening is dimensioned soas to permit a human hand access to the lever via the opening in theaccess panel to manipulate the at least one latching member from thelatched position to the unlatched position and is further dimensioned soas to inhibit an animal from accessing the lever to manipulate the atleast one latching member from the latched position into the unlatchedposition; and a bracket positioned on the second side of the accesspanel adjacent the cover opening wherein the bracket extends outwardfrom the second surface of the panel and wherein the bracket is spacedfrom the cover opening a distance that is selected to permit humanaccess to the cover opening but inhibit access by animals.
 2. The systemof claim 1, wherein the at least one latching member comprises a firstand a second latching member positioned on opposite lateral sides of theaccess panel.
 3. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least onelatching member is biased towards the latched position such that uponclosing of the access panel, the at least one latching member is urgedinto the latched position.
 4. The system of claim 3, wherein the camassembly is a rotatable cam assembly and biases the at least onelatching member into the latched position.
 5. The system of claim 3,wherein the at least one latching member includes a spring which biasesthe at least one latching member into the latched position.
 6. Thesystem of claim 3, wherein the at least one latching member is contouredso as to permit closing of the access panel when the at least onelatching member is in the latched position such that upon closing, theat least one latching member is urged again into the latched position.7. The system of claim 1, wherein a plurality of edges of the accesspanel are reinforced so as to inhibit forceful opening of the accesspanel.
 8. The system of claim 1, wherein a hinge of the access panel isrecessed within the container so as to protect the hinge from damage. 9.The system of claim 1, wherein the cover opening height is dimensionedso as to permit the access of a human hand but inhibit the access of abear claw.
 10. The system of claim 9, wherein the cover opening heightis approximately 1 inch, wherein the bracket extends outward from thesecond side of the access panel a bracket height distance ofapproximately 1 inch, and wherein the bracket is spaced from the coveropening a bracket offset distance of approximately 1.5 inches.
 11. Thesystem of claim 1, wherein the cam assembly requires a human to move thelever a selected lever actuation distance to remove the at least onelatch member from the latched position to the unlatched position whereinthe lever actuation distance is selected to be a distance that a humanhand can move the lever the selected lever actuation distance but that abear cannot move the lever the selected lever actuation distance. 12.The system of claim 11, wherein the lever actuation distance comprisesat least approximately 2.25 inches wherein the lever is recessed atleast approximately 0.5 inches from the cover opening in the latchedposition and wherein the cover has a cover depth of at leastapproximately 2.75 inches.
 13. A bear resistant latching system for usewith a container to inhibit access to the interior of the container bybears, the latching system comprising: an access panel having a firstand a second side and an opening formed between the first and secondsides wherein the access panel is adapted to be moved between an openand a closed position with respect to the container; at least onelatching member that is movable between a latched position and anunlatched position wherein the at least one latching member is coupledto the access panel at a location wherein the at least one latchingmember inhibits movement of the access panel to thereby inhibit accessto the container in the latched position and wherein the at least onelatching member permits movement of the access panel to thereby allowaccess to the container in the unlatched position; a rotatable camassembly having a lever wherein the rotatable cam assembly is mounted toa first side of the access panel and wherein the rotatable cam assemblyis coupled to the at least one latching member such that rotation of thecam assembly results in movement of the at least one latching memberbetween the latched and unlatched positions and wherein the lever ispositioned so as to be accessible through the opening in the cover so asto allow a person to move the rotatable cam assembly so as to urge theat least one latching member from the latched position to an unlatchedposition; and a cover that is mounted on the second side of the accesspanel so as to cover the opening in the access panel wherein the coverhas side walls that extends outward from the plane of the second side ofthe access panel and an outer surface that interconnects the side wallsso as to define a space positioned above the opening in the access panelwherein the cover defines a cover opening that permits access into thespace defined by the cover and also to the lever of the rotatable camassembly via the opening in the access panel wherein the cover openingis dimensioned so as to permit a human hand access to the lever via theopening in the access panel to manipulate the at least one latchingmember from the latched position to the unlatched position and isfurther dimensioned so as to inhibit a bear from accessing the lever tomanipulate the at least one latching member from the latched positioninto the unlatched position.
 14. The system of claim 13, wherein the atleast one latching member comprises a first and a second latching memberpositioned on opposite lateral sides of the access panel.
 15. The systemof claim 13, wherein the at least one latching member is biased towardsthe latched position such that upon closing of the access panel, the atleast one latching member is urged into the latched position.
 16. Thesystem of claim 15, wherein the rotatable cam assembly includes a springthat induces a rotational bias of the cam assembly so as to bias the atleast one latching member into the latched position.
 17. The system ofclaim 15, wherein the at least one latching member includes a springwhich biases the at least one latching member into the latched position.18. The system of claim 15, wherein the at least one latching member iscontoured so as to permit closing of the access panel when the at leastone latching member is in the latched position such that upon closing,the at least one latching member is urged again into the latchedposition.
 19. The system of claim 13, wherein a plurality of edges ofthe access panel are reinforced so as to inhibit forceful opening of theaccess panel.
 20. The system of claim 13, wherein a hinge of the accesspanel is recessed within the container so as to protect the hinge fromdamage.
 21. The system of claim 13, wherein the access panel is securedon 3 or more sides by a combination of the hinge and latching members soas to increase the difficulty of forcing open the access panel when inaccess panel is closed and the latching members in the latched position.22. The system of claim 13, wherein the cover opening height isdimensioned so as to permit the access of a human hand but inhibit theaccess of a bear claw.
 23. The cover opening height of claim 13, whereinthe cover opening height is approximately 1 inch.
 24. The system ofclaim 13, wherein a bracket is positioned on the second side of theaccess panel adjacent the cover opening wherein the bracket extendsoutward from the second surface of the panel and wherein the bracket isspaced from the cover opening a distance that is selected to permithuman access to the cover opening but inhibit access by bears.
 25. Thesystem of claim 24, wherein the bracket extends outward from the secondside of the access panel a bracket height distance of approximately 1inch and the bracket is spaced from the cover opening a bracket offsetdistance of approximately 1.5 inches.
 26. The system of claim 13,wherein the cam assembly requires a human to move the lever a selectedlever actuation distance to remove the at least one latch member fromthe latched position to the unlatched position wherein the leveractuation distance is selected to be a distance that a human hand canmove the lever the selected distance but that a bear cannot move thelever the selected lever actuation distance.
 27. The system of claim 26,wherein the lever actuation distance comprises at least approximately2.25 inches, wherein the lever is recessed at least approximately 0.5inches from the cover opening in the latched position, and wherein thecover has a cover depth of at least approximately 2.75 inches.
 28. Abear resistant latching system for use with a container to inhibitaccess to the interior of the container by bears, the latching systemcomprising: a container defining an interior accessible through acontainer mouth possessing a plurality of edges bordered by a containermouth frame; an access panel comprising a first side, a second side, anaccess panel opening formed between the first and second sides, areinforced edge at the periphery of the access panel, and a hinge,wherein the hinge interconnects the access panel to the container,allowing the access panel to pivot between an opened and closed positionwith respect to the container; at least one latching member, mounted tothe first side of the access panel, adjacent to the reinforced edgewherein the at least one latching member comprises a latch bolt whichpasses through a latch bolt housing wherein the latch bolt is moveablebetween a latched position and an unlatched position wherein the latchbolt inhibits movement of the access panel to thereby inhibit access tothe container in the latched position and wherein the at least onelatching member permits movement of the access panel to thereby allowaccess to the container in the unlatched position; an actuator mountedto a first side of the access panel, wherein the actuator is coupled tothe at least one latching member such that movement of the actuatorresults in movement of the at least one latching member between thelatched and unlatched positions and wherein the actuator is positionedso as to be accessible through the opening in the cover so as to allow aperson to move the actuator so as to urge the at least one latchingmember from the latched position to an unlatched position; and a coverthat is mounted on the second side of the access panel so as to coverthe opening in the access panel wherein the cover has side walls thatextends outward from the plane of the second side of the access paneland an outer surface that interconnects the side walls so as to define aspace positioned above the opening in the access panel wherein the coverdefines a cover opening that permits access into the space defined bythe cover and also to the actuator via the opening in the access panelwherein the cover opening is dimensioned so as to permit a human handaccess to the actuator via the opening in the access panel to manipulatethe at least one latching member from the latched position to theunlatched position and is further dimensioned so as to inhibit a bearfrom accessing the actuator to manipulate the at least one latchingmember from the latched position into the unlatched position.
 29. Thesystem of claim 28, wherein the at least one latching member comprises afirst and a second latching member positioned on opposite lateral sidesof the access panel.
 30. The system of claim 28, wherein the hinge isrecessed within the container so as to protect the hinge from damage.31. The system of claim 30, wherein the latch bolts of the at least onelatching member are secured within striker plate holes within thecontainer mouth frame when the access panel is in the closed position,so as to secure the access panel on 3 or more sides by a combination ofthe hinge and latching members so as to increase the difficulty offorcing open the access panel when in access panel is closed and thelatching members in the latched position.
 32. The system of claim 28,wherein the at least one latching member moves to the latched positionwhen the access panel is moved to the closed position.
 33. The system ofclaim 32, wherein the actuator is biased in the latched position and afirst end of the latch bolt possesses a contour such that when theaccess panel is moved from the open to closed positions and latch boltis in the latched position, the container mouth frame presses againstthe contour, forcing the latch bolt away from the container mouth,allowing the access panel to move to the closed position and whereinupon reaching the closed position, the latch bolt is urged to thelatched position.
 34. The system of claim 28, wherein the actuatorcomprises a rotatable cam assembly.
 35. The system of claim 28, whereinthe cover opening height is approximately 1 inch and wherein the coverhas a cover depth of at least approximately 2.75 inches, wherein abracket extends outward from the second side of the access panel abracket height distance of approximately 1 inch and the bracket isspaced from the cover opening a bracket offset distance of approximately1.5 inches, wherein actuator requires a human to move the a lever of theactuator an actuation distance at least approximately 2.25 inches toremove the at least one latch member from the latched position to theunlatched position wherein the lever is recessed at least approximately0.5 inches from the cover opening in the latched position.